Moon Over Maui

A Mandala of Moon Shadows

Written By: Jueli Garfinkle
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May•
23•12

The new moon of Sivan crested on Monday evening. The night before, the moon moved itself across the surface of the sun. Tickets to “scientifically” view the phenomena were sold out. So instead of heading to the observatory, my man and I went to a tapas & wine bar nearby.

“Here’s to Mrs. Ward, who gave me a C-minus in science,” I heard a man loudly state, as his tall shadow blocked the sun from my skin. I turned, and there on the wood side of an old wood fence was the eclipse pouring through a hand-punched hole of the yellow tapas menu.

Surrounding that clear shadowed star, was a mandala of moon shadows–literally hundreds of projections of the sun and moon’s most intimate dance.

It was a lunar fireworks display. Extraordinary and beautiful.

I know the eclipse happened three days ago. The professional journalist within me balks at the late timing of this post. “Yesterday’s news is today’s fish wrapping.” It’s Journalism 101. Still, even three days post event, isn’t it exceptional?!